Dennis & Peta Klumpp

While beachcombing on the rugged west coast of King Island, we often discussed the idea of eating seaweed - utilising nature’s vegetables from the sea! Research uncovered little, so we started experimenting with cooking and eating (very tentatively at first) the storm cast Bull Kelp.

Here Dennis’s passion for creating culinary dishes with herbs and spices, and his background in industrial chemistry came to the fore. Many concoctions in the kitchen followed. There were numerous failures, but from the edible dishes sprang the idea of producing a unique product that would add to the existing range of gourmet King Island foods.

The idea of kelp chutney sprang from Dennis’s recollections of his Grandmother’s (Nana Klumpp) delicious relishes. Nana (Mahala) Klumpp died in 1993 at the age of 101, but fortunately her recipe did not die with her. On a visit to Dennis’s hometown of Bonny Hills in NSW, Dennis and Peta sorted through much family memorabilia to uncover Nana’s cooking notes. The pickle recipe was derived from Mahala’s grandmother (Granny Eggert), who incidentally lived to the age of 99.

Many experiments, trials and tastings followed, before the present Kelp Chutney recipe was settled on. Our imagination then alight, the Kelp Lemon Spread and Hot & Spicy Kelp Sauce followed. We also have exciting ideas for the future.

Sadly we have had to discontinue our kelp product lines, due to ill health, but we we have added a kelp cooking section, that explains how to prepare and cook kelp.